Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Thursday 10 February 2000

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address the financial problems facing the farming industry.

Mr John Home Robertson: The Executive is committed to supporting and enhancing the rural economy, and agriculture is an important and integral part of that strategy. We are resolved to develop an approach to the agriculture sector in Scotland which results in its long-term sustainability and we are taking forward a range of measures designed to help.

  We have already provided substantial support to farmers, including £40 million paid to livestock farmers and £33 million in compensation for the relative weakness of the euro. For the longer term, we are promoting strategies to help the development of the sheep, milk and food sectors, and are consulting on proposals for a Rural Development Plan which will help to create a more sustainable future for the agriculture industry.

Caledonian MacBrayne

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers the services offered by Caledonian MacBrayne to be the best possible deal for rural and island communities in Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd strives to provide cost-effective lifeline ferry services to rural and island communities. The Executive has made extra resources of £20 million available for two new ferries which come into service this year and in 1999-2000 is committing £14.8 million in subsidy to CalMac – the highest ever figure.

Caledonian MacBrayne

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in his previous post as Secretary, Scottish Office Development Department, the new Caledonian MacBrayne Chairman Harold Mills ever briefed Ministers on any aspect of the Campbeltown-Ballycastle ferry route and, if so, what the content of these briefings was.

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in his previous position as Secretary of the Scottish Office Development Department, the new Caledonian MacBrayne Chairman Harold Mills ever briefed Ministers on any aspect of the Gourock-Dunoon ferry route and, if so, what the content of these briefings was.

Sarah Boyack: Information relating to advice given by officials to Ministers is not normally released, on the grounds that disclosure would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Childcare

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to encourage the take-up of career opportunities in childcare.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive published on 24 January an information booklet called Working with Children which sets out the career opportunities available in early education, childcare and playwork.

Communities

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which public agency has the overall responsibility for co-ordinating the regeneration of Glasgow and what agreements are in place to allocate specific lead responsibility for the key aspects or objectives of regeneration.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The regeneration of Glasgow is being led by the Glasgow Alliance which, under the leadership of the local council, brings together the public sector agencies, the private sector and the community and voluntary sectors in Glasgow, to work together to change the city for the better. A copy of the Alliance’s strategy document Creating Tomorrow’s Glasgow has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Culture

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take steps to ensure that the newly merged Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet will have staff directors appointed to the new board.

Mr Sam Galbraith: : No. Membership is strictly a matter for the new board.

Education

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the remit and membership of the working group it has proposed to review curricular advice and materials in the light of the proposed repeal of section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The remit of the Working Group is as follows:

  "In the light of the Scottish Executive's intention to repeal section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986:

  to consider the scope and general content of the package of safeguards described in the letter of 27 January 2000 to school boards and head teachers from the Minister for Children and Education;

  to report to the Scottish Executive on whether this package is sufficiently wide-ranging and robust to meet the legitimate concerns of the public, parents and teachers;

  to review existing curriculum guidelines, advice and support information bearing on sex education;

  to consider whether these existing materials and the existing arrangements for ongoing review are sufficient to meet the legitimate concerns of the public, parents and teachers;

  to report to the Scottish Executive with recommendations for any revisions or additions to these existing materials and arrangements;

  to commission with the Scottish Executive any agreed revisions and/or the development of any agreed new materials, which are to be completed before repeal of section 2A is brought into force."

  The membership of the Working Group is as follows:

  Mr Mike McCabe (Chairman), Director of Education, South Ayrshire.

  Mr John O'Keane, Head teacher of Cardinal Newman High School, North

  Lanarkshire.

  Mrs Anne Pearson, Head teacher of Park Primary School, Alloa,

  Clackmannanshire

  Mrs Gill Mackay, Senior Teacher at Dunard Primary School, Glasgow.

  Mr John Waddell, Vice Chair of Williamwood High School Board, East Renfrewshire representing the Scottish School Board Association.

  Ms Kim Connolly, a Director of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council.

  Reverend Jack Laidlaw, Convener of the Church of Scotland Education Committee.

  Mr John Oates, representing the Catholic Education Commission.

  Ms Rowena Ashad, Director of the Centre for Education in Racial Equality in Scotland.

  I am grateful to all the members of the Working Group for their willingness to give time to this important and sensitive task. I am sure that their work will provide significant reassurance to parents and teachers. Their recommendations on revisions or additions to existing curricular materials and on the package of safeguards will be available before the final vote on repeal of section 2A.

Enterprise

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Business Shops there are and to list their location and the total annual cost of their operation.

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what economic development services are provided by Business Shops; whether any analysis has been done or will be done as to whether the nature and range of services provided vary and whether it will place a copy of such analysis in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Business Shop Network comes under the operational remit of Scottish Enterprise. Details of the annual cost of their operation are contained in the Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Business Shop Network Evaluation Main Report: Final Report February 1999,  a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

  The number of Business Shops in existence changes from year to year, but up to date information is available on request from Scottish Enterprise.

Finance

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to hear the outcome of Her Majesty’s Government’s spending review as it affects Scotland.

Mr Jack McConnell: Her Majesty’s Government’s spending review will conclude in July.

  This will include the calculation of consequentials for the Scottish Executive budget.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total actual, estimated and planned capital expenditure is for transport and the environment between 1997-98 and 2001-02 in 1998-99 prices, and what the difference is between this sum and expenditure if it were frozen in real terms at the level of expenditure in 1996-97.

Mr Jack McConnell: Total capital expenditure from the assigned budget on transport and the environment (actual, estimated and planned) between 1997-98 and 2001-02 at 1998-99 prices is expected to be £1,592 million, as compared with a total £1,742 million if expenditure were frozen at 1996-97 levels and expressed in 1998-99 prices.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about the advice which business organisations are currently giving their members about the revaluation taking place this year, as referred to by Mr Jack McConnell in column 1490 of the Official Report of the debate on the draft budget 2000-01 on 15 December 1999.

Mr Jack McConnell: I have had a number of meetings with business representative bodies on aspects of the revaluation. Following my statement on Local Government Finance on 8 December, the Scottish Executive circulated an information leaflet outlining key facts to the main representative business organisations, who subsequently made it available to their members.

  In line with the Executive’s policy of openness and transparency, I will continue to meet with these organisations in the run up to, and following, the revaluation and will issue further guidance.

Fuel Duty

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to extend the fuel duty rebate to taxis.

Sarah Boyack: Fuel duty rebate is a mechanism to reimburse bus operators for the duty paid on fuel consumed in operating local registered services, subject to specific regulated operating conditions e.g. that the services are available to the public in general and have a predetermined route and timetable.

  We have no plans to extend the FDR scheme to taxis. We have no information centrally about fuel consumption by taxis and therefore no estimate of the cost has been made.

Health

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2109 by Susan Deacon on 10 November 1999, whether it has now received the advice from the National Services Advisory Group on the provision of cochlear implants, whether it will place a copy of this advice in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre and what action it plans to take in the light of this advice.

Susan Deacon: I refer Mr Gallie to my answer S1W-737 of Wednesday 9 February to Margaret Jamieson.

Health

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to S1W-2232 and S1W-2233 by Susan Deacon on 30 November 1999, what plans there are to improve cancer survival rates by expanding specialist staffing in cancer services in Scotland as part of the work of the Scottish Cancer Group.

Susan Deacon: Cancer is one of three clinical priorities for the NHS in Scotland.

  Workforce planning is an integral part of the planning cycle for the NHS in Scotland. Specialist medical staffing is monitored annually, as are the numbers of nurses required to ensure continuity of care for patients.

  The Scottish Cancer Group has commissioned work to model cancer incidence over the next 10 to 20 years which will inform future service and workforce planning for the range of clinical specialities involved in the treatment and care of people with cancer.

Health

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the predicted increase in cancer prevalence in Scotland, and the importance of specialised staff for the improvement in cancer outcomes, what plans it has to increase the number of medical and clinical oncologists over the next five to ten years.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive and the Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education (SCPMDE) are currently in the process of undertaking their annual review of the Specialist Registrar (SpR) establishment. This review determines the numbers of higher specialist training places available for each specialty, which in turn determines the number of doctors who will be qualified to fill consultant vacancies in the future.

  In both the specialties mentioned, it is expected that there will be a significant increase in the SpR establishment this year. These doctors undertake a five to six year period of specialist training to gain a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST) after which they are eligible to apply for consultant posts. During this higher specialist training period SpRs carry out clinical duties across the range of the relevant speciality.

  Other grades of hospital medical staff apart from consultants and SpRs also provide specialist care and treatment for cancer patients. Health boards have the responsibility to decide how many consultants and non-consultant career grade doctors they appoint in their area, depending on the health needs of the local population.

Health

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to support initiatives to increase the numbers of women who breastfeed their babies in Glasgow.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is committed to the promotion of breastfeeding throughout Scotland. We support and fund the Scottish Breastfeeding Group and the National Breastfeeding Advisor to help achieve the target of 50% of women breastfeeding their babies at six weeks by 2005. The Health Education Board for Scotland, funded by the Scottish Executive, also plays a vital role in encouraging women to breastfeed and promoting a positive public attitude towards breastfeeding. HEBS’ work includes a wide range of publications and promotion of Breastfeeding Awareness Week.

  This work at a national level to help increase breastfeeding across Scotland is being taken up at a local level. For example, the Greater Glasgow Health Board has launched its local Breastfeeding Strategy in May last year, Glasgow maternity hospitals are implementing good practice through the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative, and there are a number of community-based initiatives in Glasgow encouraging breastfeeding within their local area.

Health

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of NHS spending in Scotland was allocated to Greater Glasgow Health Board in (a) 1989-90; (b) 1994-95 and (c) 1999-2000.

Susan Deacon: Greater Glasgow Health Board was allocated 23.2% of NHS spend in Scotland in 1989-90, 19.3% in 1994-95 and 18.4% of the estimated expenditure in 1999-2000. These allocations have been based on the Scottish Health Authorities Revenue Equalisation (SHARE) formula which determined each health board’s need for resources on the size and nature of its population. The reduction in the percentages allocated to Greater Glasgow Health Board reflects Glasgow’s reducing population. Future allocations will be based on a new formula stemming from the Arbuthnott Committee’s review of resource allocations which will, in particular, take into account the needs of deprived and rural areas. The proposed new method of resource allocation would result in Greater Glasgow Health Board receiving an increase in the proportion of NHS resources it receives.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop a Scottish national allergy centre.

Susan Deacon: Only a very small number of services, such as heart, lung and liver transplantation, are handled at national level. There are no immediate plans to add allergy to these services.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients in years 1995 to 1999 inclusive caught infections during their stay in hospital.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, what percentage of outpatients were (a) seen within the nine week target set out in the Patient’s Charter and (b) seen by a consultant on their first appointment for each quarter for the years 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000.

Susan Deacon: Information on the percentage of first outpatient appointments where the patient was seen within nine weeks of a General Medical Practitioner/General Dental Practitioner referral, for the periods requested, is given in the table. Data on the percentage of patients seen by a consultant at their first outpatient appointments is not centrally available.

  Percentage of patients who received their first outpatient appointments within nine weeks following a general medical practitioner/general dental practitioner referral.1

  


Quarter Ended

  

Percentage

  



30 June 1996

  

73

  



30 September 1996

  

69

  



31 December 1996

  

70

  



31 March 1997

  

71

  



30 June 1997

  

72

  



30 September 1997

  

67

  



31 December 1997

  

67

  



31 March 1998

  

68

  



30 June 1998

  

68

  



30 September 1998

  

64

  



31 December 1998

  

64

  



31 march 1999

  

64

  



30 June 1999

  

66

  



30 September 1999P


60

  



31 December 1999P


60

  



  Source: ISD Scotland

  P Provisional

  Notes:

  1. Information based on referrals by GMP/GDP only (excludes patients with a Patient’s Charter guarantee exception code).

Higher Education

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what response there has been from further education colleges to its proposals in the framework document Working Together for Wider Access to Further and Higher Education and a Fair Deal for Students .

Henry McLeish: The Executive has received no responses from further education colleges to the proposals. However, the Association of Scottish Colleges issued a statement welcoming the many and the substantial improvements contained in the Executive’s Framework Document for full-time further education students. It acknowledged that the proposals represent a significant step forward

Holyrood

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2857 by Sarah Boyack on 12 January 2000, what plans it has to extend the Central Edinburgh Rapid Transit scheme to provide a link to Holyrood.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive (and previously the Scottish Office) has participated, jointly with the City of Edinburgh Council and Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd, in a study into options for improving public transport access to the new Parliament at Holyrood, but decisions on the extension of CERT are a matter for negotiation between the City of Edinburgh Council and ConCERT as their preferred bidder for the project.

Housing

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, following the publication of the Housing Green Paper Investing in Modernisation: An Agenda for Scotland’s Housing , whether it will give an assurance that there will be an early debate on current allocation policy and legislation.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I announced my proposals for the forthcoming Housing Bill in early December. Parliament had a full debate on these proposals, together with other housing issues, on 13 January. The Homelessness Task Force is likely to publish its initial recommendations around the end of February and there will be an opportunity for Parliament to consider these recommendations, including any relating to allocations.

Housing

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits it envisages for housing associations in pursuing charitable status and whether it intends to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the existing charity laws which could subsequently change the status and rights of tenants of registered charitable housing associations.

Ms Wendy Alexander: It is for housing associations to evaluate the full implications for themselves of seeking recognition from the Inland Revenue that their association should enjoy charitable status. Charitable status could affect their tax liability, but they would also need to ensure that their activities were in line with the agreed charitable purposes. With regard to existing charity law, the Scottish Executive announced to Parliament on 3 November 1999 that an independent commission would be established to review and reform charity law in Scotland. Ministers are currently considering the chair, membership, remit and timetable of the commission and a further announcement will be made to the Parliament in due course.

Housing

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance will be given to Glasgow City Council to assist it in dealing with repair and improvement grant work in the private housing sector.

Ms Wendy Alexander: It is for local authorities to set their own budgets for improvement and repairs grants from within their general services allocation. The forthcoming Housing Bill will include provisions to reform the grant system, including the introduction of a test of applicants’ resources to ensure that help goes to those in greatest need.

Justice

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether extra funding in respect of DNA will be made available comparable to the additional funding in England.

Mr Jim Wallace: We are discussing the situation in respect of Scottish Forces with HM Treasury.

Police

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the number of police officers employed by Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary to increase or decrease during the next two years.

Mr Jim Wallace: It is for the Chief Constable, in consultation with his police authority, to determine staffing levels in the light of the budget set for the Force.

Police

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will fund a Lothian and Borders Community Policing Team to undertake similar capital city policing duties for Edinburgh as are undertaken by the Metropolitan Police in London.

Mr Jim Wallace: The responsibilities of the Metropolitan Police and Lothian and Borders Police are not directly comparable since the Met carry out a range of duties, including protecting the Royal Family, protecting embassies and counter-terrorism activities, on a UK basis. However, the methodology for the distribution of police GAE in Scotland is currently under review including whether there are special factors within individual force areas that need to be taken into account.

Post Office

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is (a) the number of post office outlets in Scotland and (b) the total number of jobs dependant on them both directly and indirectly; what consideration it has given as to the impact upon these employment levels of Her Majesty’s Government policy to switch benefit payments to automated credit transfers to bank accounts in a two year move commencing in 2003 and whether it will provide an estimate of the numbers of jobs directly and indirectly dependant on post office outlets in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Henry McLeish: The Post Office, post and regulation of postal services are reserved matters. I understand from the Post Office that the number of post offices in Scotland as at end March 1999 was 2,026 and that around 7,000 people are either directly or indirectly dependent on the operation of the post office network in Scotland. In addition, there are a number of people within the Post Office Group who have responsibilities which are partly related to the operation of the post office network and those who are employed in the retail businesses associated with post offices.

  The automation of the post office network, which is due for completion by the spring of 2001, will enable post offices to enhance and expand the facilities they offer. The UK Government has also given an assurance that benefit recipients who wish to access their benefits in cash at post offices will continue to be able to do so before and after the move to automated credit transfer. No estimates of job numbers for the years 2003-06 are available.

Poverty

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is for tackling the issue of food poverty in Scotland.

Jackie Baillie: Our overall strategy for tackling poverty is set out in Social Justice: a Scotland where everyone matters .

  Through the Scottish Community Diet Project and Social Inclusion Partnerships the Executive funds a range of initiatives that address food poverty in ways responsive to local needs.

  We will shortly appoint a national dietary co-ordinator who will give priority to supporting primary producers and major retailers to maximise their potential contribution towards health with a focus on low income groups.

Public Transport

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected figures for road traffic growth are for the next (a) five; (b) 10; (c) 20 and (d) 30 years and whether it plans to review these figures to reflect policies of traffic reduction.

Sarah Boyack: The current projections for road traffic growth are contained in the National Road Traffic Forecasts (Great Britain) 1997 published by DETR on 14 October 1997. These figures were calculated from a 1996 base and relate to Great Britain as a whole. The figures below represent annual percentage growth rates for each period assuming the most likely forecast of traffic growth:

  


1996-2001

  

1.74%

  



2001-06

  

1.69%

  



2006-11

  

1.53%

  



2011-16

  

1.48%

  



2016-21

  

1.19%

  



2021-26

  

0.91%

  



2026-31

  

0.89%

  



  DETR will consult the Scottish Executive about the review of these projections to reflect current transport policies. The intention is to publish revised forecasts in 2000.

Rural Affairs

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in developing indicators of rural deprivation, whether these will be used in the determination of financial settlements for public bodies including local authorities and, if so, when.

Mr John Home Robertson: The allocation of resources in the Scottish Executive’s programmes takes a number of rural circumstances into consideration. The Executive is currently investigating methods of identifying rural disadvantage. These will be taken into account in determining allocations in due course.

Rural Affairs

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the use of Scottish timber in the construction industry.

Mr John Home Robertson: The construction industry uses an increasing quantity of Scottish timber each year. Half the houses built in Scotland are timber framed, and nearly all the timber panels for these houses are made from Scottish timber. About 11% of the timber used in the UK construction industry is grown in the UK; about half of this is grown in Scotland, with substantial amounts being sold south of the Border. The volume of timber available from Scottish forests is set to double in the next fifteen years, providing further significant supplies for the construction industry .

Rural Affairs

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific aspect of the rural affairs budget will be reduced in the current financial year to accommodate the published reduction in expenditure.

Mr Jack McConnell: The rural affairs budget is not being reduced. As a result of my announcement on 6 October, spending this year on rural affairs will increase by £1.5 million to assist agri-environment schemes. There will be a further increase of £20 million later this year for Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances, as part of the package of special measures for the farming sector announced in September.

Smoking

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review legislation to ensure more effective enforcement in preventing sales of tobacco to underage children.

Susan Deacon: We have no such plans. We are, however, working closely with CoSLA, ACPOS and trading standards representatives in Scotland to ensure better enforcement and help shopkeepers comply with the law.

Transport

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Executive are taking to promote integrated transport and to promote the use and quality of public transport services.

Donald Dewar: Our legislative proposals announced by Sarah Boyack earlier today represent a good deal for the public transport user and a good deal for the motorist. Our vision is to deliver a public transport system comparable with the best in Europe, whilst giving fair treatment to the motorist.

Transport

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve rail infrastructure and services in Lanarkshire.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Ministers will be able to issue directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority for the franchise providing passenger rail services which begin and end in Scotland. These will reflect our strategic priorities for the provision of services throughout the country.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the Cross-Forth Passenger Ferry Study and what plans it has to implement the recommendations of the study.

Sarah Boyack: : The study, produced by Napier University, was co-funded by the Forth Transport Infrastructure Partnership, Forth Ports PLC and Stagecoach PLC. A decision on publication has not yet been made by the funding partners.

  Decisions on future cross-Forth transport initiatives will be taken within the context of the work of the Forth Transport Infrastructure Partnership.

Water

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to privatise the water industry.

Sarah Boyack: No.

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENTARY CORPORATE BODY

Visiting Speakers

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Presiding Officer whether he will provide details of any discussions the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body have been involved in regarding invitations made to or requests received from non-MSPs to address the Parliament and how and when MSPs would be informed of any such invitations or requests.

Sir David Steel: It is envisaged that the Parliamentary Bureau, not the Corporate Body, will consider whether invitations should be extended to non-MSPs to address the Parliament, and, if so, to seek the Parliament’s agreement on the basis of a motion from the Parliamentary Bureau. The Bureau’s interest reflects the impact that such invitations would have on the organisation of business of the Parliament and the business programme. Should the Parliament agree that such invitations should be extended, these would issue from my office on behalf of the Parliament. At a recent meeting of the Parliamentary Bureau, it was agreed that invitations to distinguished guests to address the Parliament should be made sparingly and to figures of exceptional standing.

  Members continue to be informed via the Business Bulletin of the arrangements of invitations to address the Parliament. To date, invitations have been restricted to leading Time for Reflection at meetings of Parliament, schedules for which are published regularly. As an alternative to invitations formally to address the Parliament, non-MSPs may be invited to address a meeting of MSPs outwith normal business times. The Parliament is also able to honour distinguished guests in other ways including acknowledging them in the gallery.